


The Incredible Hulk

by AldaratheAlbatross



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Origin Story, Screenplay/Script Format, a lot of anti-war songs, read this if you think Betty deserved better, science jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:28:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28605969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AldaratheAlbatross/pseuds/AldaratheAlbatross
Summary: It's the Incredible Hulk, but better. Betty gets more character and her own job. I'm not bound by the market and therefore can tell Bruce's origin story and it doesn't have to be confined to the opening credits. I don't take money from the U.S. military so I can make this an explicitly anti-military treatise. A mouse is experimented on, but then taken home and cared for for the rest of his steroid-enhanced life. There are a lot of nerdy jokes. Something for everyone!I just really like the Hulk, okay?
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Betty Ross
Comments: 3
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The summary mostly tells you what's going on in this piece, I guess! I wrote this... a year ago? And finally went back and did some edits. I was inspired first by [ this Spiderman script, ](https://the-niche.blog/2017/09/18/i-went-ahead-and-wrote-a-spider-man-movie-where-peter-parker-is-bisexual-because-life-is-short-and-god-knows-nobody-else-was-going-to-do-it/) which is incredible and convinced me to just write the movies I want to see which will never be made. Because it will never be made, I picked up the practice of scoring it myself. Every song in here is recommended.  
> Maybe one day I'll have the time to write more like this-- in the long run I would love to write an alternate Endgame arc that's not a continuity and character nightmare-- but no promises.

**MAIN CAST (in order of appearance)**

BRUCE BANNER: Mark Ruffalo

RICK JONES: Rodrigo Santoro

GENERAL THADDEUS ‘THUNDERBOLT’ ROSS: William Hurt

BETTY ROSS: Liv Tyler

CAPTAIN EMIL BLONSKY: Tim Roth

* * *

INT. A SMALL APARTMENT - MORNING

A radio alarm clock beeps, and then the radio switches on. 

RADIO ANNOUNCER

Five American soldiers are dead today after a roadside bombing in the Iraqui city of Ramadi. This is the third deadly attack on American soldiers in the area in the past week...

A MAN thrashes under his blankets, then sits up, running a hand over his face. He takes a couple deep, shuddering breaths as the news runs in the background, then pushes off the blankets and swings his feet out of bed. This is BRUCE BANNER.

“IF I HAD A HAMMER” by Pete Seeger starts playing, overtaking the sound of the radio, as BRUCE gets ready for the day.

PETE SEEGER (V.O.)

_ If I had a hammer _

_ I’d hammer in the morning. _

_ I’d hammer in the evening, _

_ all over this land. _

BRUCE pulls on a pair of pants, then takes a dark green button-up shirt out of his closet and puts it on. He walks out to the kitchen and puts bread in the toaster, then pulls yoghurt out of the fridge to eat while he waits.

PETE SEEGER (V.O.)

_ I’d hammer out ‘DANGER!’ _

_ I’d hammer out a warning _

_ I’d hammer out love between  _

_ my brothers and my sisters _

_ all over this land. _

There’s a silly poster of two neurons on the wall that says ‘I think we’ve got potential’. He checks his phone, and there’s a message from BETTY which reads ‘Happy Anniversary! Good luck today. I’ll see you tonight ;)’. BRUCE laughs a bit and wanders into the living room to pick up a stack of papers covered in notations. In the living room we see some pictures of BRUCE and BETTY on the wall, mountains in the background, wearing hiking backpacks. There’s also a model of the USS ENTERPRISE on a bookshelf next to some Star Trek novels. On other shelves there’s some classic sci-fi, including ‘Frankenstein’, and old textbooks and scientific journals. BRUCE heads back into the kitchen for his toast.

PETE SEEGER (V.O.)

_ If I had a bell _

_ I’d ring it in the morning. _

_ I’d ring it in the evening, _

_ all over this land. _

He sits at the table to eat and go over the notes he picked up, then shuffles the papers together and slides them into a messenger bag by the door. As he shuffles into his shoes we see that there are hiking boots at the door next to his dress shoes.

PETE SEEGER (V.O.)

_ I’d sing out ‘DANGER!’ _

_ I’d sing out a warning _

_ I’d sing out love between  _

_ my brothers and my sisters _

_ all over this land. _

EXT. CULVER UNIVERSITY - MORNING

BRUCE steps off the bus on campus and walks into a building, making his way through bustling halls to a lab space. He sees a couple of students he knows and waves at them in passing. When he goes in there’s a MAN already there, dressed in civilian clothes and a lab coat, but with a military haircut and bearing. As BRUCE puts on a lab coat, he nods to him.

BRUCE

Hey, Rick.

RICK JONES

Morning, Doctor. 

PETE SEEGER (V.O.)

_ Well I got a hammer _

_ and I got a bell _

_ and I got a song to sing _

_ all over this land _

BRUCE reaches into a small sealed chamber and pulls out tubes of green liquid, using them to fill a syringe. He then goes over to a cage of mice, pulls one out, injects it, sets the mouse in a glass box, seals it, and presses a button to dose the mouse with radiation. The mouse is badly burned. RICK has joined BRUCE in watching intently.

PETE SEEGER (V.O.)

_ It’s the hammer of justice, _

_ it’s the bell of freedom, _

_ it’s a song of love between _

_ my brothers and my sisters _

_ all over this land. _

After a moment, BRUCE opens the container and pulls the mouse out. The burns are disappearing rapidly. It squeaks at them, still alive, and as the banjo music fades, BRUCE and RICK celebrate their success. BRUCE sets the mouse back in the cage, and as the little hatch shuts behind the mouse and the camera, the mouse’s eyes turn bright green. The screen goes black and we see the 

TITLE CARD:

**THE INCREDIBLE HULK**

INT. A COMFORTABLE OFFICE - AFTERNOON

BRUCE is seated in a visitor’s chair across the desk from an imposing older man in a neat suit - GENERAL ROSS. ROSS pours BRUCE a glass of water from a jug on his desk and then leans forward, steepling his fingers together. 

GENERAL ROSS

Run me through this once more. You’re telling me you had a breakthrough?

BRUCE

_ (He knows his business, and he’s clearly not really afraid of General Ross, but he stutters a bit anyways. Bruce is soft-spoken and even when he gets worked up his yelling is almost quieter than Ross’ normal speaking voice) _

Yessir. It’s certainly not a sure thing, but this is a significant development. The mouse was subjected to significant gamma radiation and healed almost immediately. It shows no other signs of radiation poisoning as of yet, but it’s too soon to rule out the long term effects. We’d also need to do further tests to really be sure of how well the healing factor works.

GENERAL ROSS

How soon could we be looking at a human trial?

BRUCE

Not for months, even a year or two. We need time to rule out the possibility of cancer and other long-term effects, and one successful mouse trial isn’t enough to move on to human experimentation. We want to protect people from radiation poisoning, not give it to them.

GENERAL ROSS

Naturally. But you’re doing important work, and it could save many lives. I want to know as soon as you’re ready to move onto the next stage.

BRUCE

Of course, sir.

GENERAL ROSS stands and BRUCE mimics him. They shake hands across the desk, and BRUCE turns to walk out. 

GENERAL ROSS

Oh, and Banner!

BRUCE turns back to him.

BRUCE

Yes, sir?

GENERAL ROSS

Happy anniversary, son. Have a good time this evening, and say hello to my daughter for me. Remind her that she should visit her old dad sometimes.

BRUCE

Thank you, sir, I will.

BRUCE leaves and shuts the door behind him. GENERAL ROSS sits down and pulls a file to him, opening it. He passes his hands over his face before making some notes. 

We are shown the papers as GENERAL ROSS flips through them: a record of BRUCE’s briefings over the past few months, ending in today’s successful trial; a profile of STEVEN GRANT ROGERS including two pictures, one of a small, skinny man and the other of massive, healthy Captain America; a single page of handwritten notes in German, marked ‘Incomplete’ in red pen. The folder flips closed and it’s labelled ‘Project Rebirth - Opened 1941. Ongoing’.

GENERAL ROSS looks at the closed file a moment before nodding to himself and reaching for his phone. He dials, and someone picks up.

GENERAL ROSS

Yes, Jones? I’d like to meet with you tomorrow morning about Project Rebirth.

INT. A NICE RESTAURANT - EVENING

BRUCE is sitting across the table from a pretty young woman in a blue dress - BETTY ROSS. They both have full plates, and BRUCE is pouring wine from a bottle for both of them. She is staring a little vacantly into space, and BRUCE smiles a little at her absentmindedness. 

In the background, ‘The Sun is Burning’ by Simon and Garfunkel is playing softly.

BRUCE

Hey, uh, Doctor? Yeah, you, in the blue.

Her face clears and she looks at him. They both laugh.

BETTY

That joke will never die, hey?

BRUCE

Not if you keep wearing blue all the time.

BETTY

Guess I’ll have to throw out half my wardrobe, then. Sorry I’m so distracted. I’ve got a pretty big test reaction running right now, but it has to run overnight anyways, so I shouldn’t be worrying about it right now.

BRUCE

_ (excited) _

The new idea worked, then?

BETTY

Well, that’s what we’re going to find out. Tomorrow afternoon, when it’s done. What about you? I know you were doing an animal trial today.

BRUCE

_ (fake sadness) _

Werner Bachmann the Third... is still alive.

BETTY laughs at his theatrics. 

BRUCE

So far, no negative consequences.

BETTY

Well, here’s hoping that keeps up. Werner should be honoured to know he’s part of a project that will save a lot of people.

BRUCE

_ (bashful) _

Yes, well, the... tub of water in your lab should know it’s part of a project that’ll save the world, so...

BETTY

_ (laughing) _

Happy 2nd anniversary, Bruce.

BRUCE

Happy anniversary, Betty.

They toast each other, and the camera pans around them as the music and the shot fade out.

INT. BRUCE’S BEDROOM - LATE MORNING

BRUCE is standing at the mirror, doing up his shirt. The door is open, and there’s sound coming from the rest of the apartment. BRUCE is lingering in his task, and he looks tired and a bit sad.

BETTY

_ (from the other room) _

Are you doing okay?

She walks in and sees him still standing by the mirror, so she goes up to him and puts a hand on his back. BRUCE sighs.

BETTY

You were pretty restless last night. Nightmares again?

BRUCE

It’s always worse, around this time. It’s been thirty years, but I still get nightmares in the springtime.  _ (He laughs self-deprecatingly) _

They both look over to Bruce’s dresser, and the camera focuses on a black and white picture of a young woman in an old frame. She’s smiling kindly.

BETTY

You don’t have to stop being sad, Bruce. She was your mother. You don’t ever have to be okay with losing her. It hasn’t stopped you from living your life, and I’m sure she would be so proud of you. 

BRUCE meets BETTY’s eyes in the mirror and smiles a bit at her, then goes back to his shirt buttons.

BETTY

Now, hurry up. I’ll walk to the lab with you before my class. I don’t teach until eleven-thirty anyways.

INT. BRUCE’S LAB - LATE MORNING

RICK JONES and GENERAL ROSS are bent over some papers on a desk. The door opens and BRUCE and BETTY walk in, laughing. They’re surprised to see the GENERAL there. 

BRUCE

Sir? Why’re you here?

GENERAL ROSS

Banner, Elizabeth. Good morning.

BETTY

Hi, dad.

GENERAL ROSS

Sgt. Jones and I were just discussing options for accelerating the project. Things seem to be going well with the mouse  _ (he motions to the mouse cage, where Werner Bachmann the third is spinning very fast on a hamster wheel)  _ so we’re going to test on Jones this afternoon.

BRUCE

_ (shocked, horrified, and taken aback) _

What?! No!  **One** trial on a- on a  **mouse** is  **not** enough to begin testing on a human being. I said that yesterday.

GENERAL ROSS

Banner, do you know what came across my desk yesterday afternoon, after you left? A report from the CIA. They’ve found another irradiated test site in Iraq. This was the third report like that in the past four months. Five men died yesterday. We can’t be waiting forever on this experiment— we need this treatment now.

BRUCE

It won’t do any good if we run human trials before we’re ready! Radiation poisoning is incredibly dangerous.

BETTY

Dad, think about this.

GENERAL ROSS

Sometimes we have to take risks in order to succeed. Isn’t that true in science as well?

BRUCE

Of course it is! But they have to be measured risks. Right now, the risk is too great. We could be a lot more confident with a bit more time. 

GENERAL ROSS

We don’t have more time, Banner. This afternoon, or I’ll find someone else who is willing to look over your notes and perform it. You may not be under military command, but Jones is, and he’s got his orders.

BRUCE

I simply can’t allow you to test this on human beings, sir.

GENERAL ROSS

This isn’t your decision to make, Banner. I’ll see you this afternoon or I’ll give your work to someone else.

ROSS turns and walks out of the room, even as BRUCE is gearing up to say something else. BETTY puts her hand on his shoulder and shakes her head.

BETTY

He’s not going to listen to you, Bruce.You know how he is.

BRUCE

Betty, we’re not ready for this! It’s incredibly dangerous, it’s practically untested. You know a single mouse trial doesn’t count. Someone’s going to get hurt. 

RICK JONES

Doc, listen. We just have to set up so that the radiation is properly contained. As long as we’re careful, it will only affect me. And  _ (swallowing hard) _ it’s my duty, sir. Doctor Banner. If this experiment can help save lives, then I have to give everything to its success. Besides  _ (he looks over at the mouse, who is still running frantically) _ Werner seems fine.

BRUCE is still worked up. He’s tapping his hand against the countertop a bit. He seems saddened by RICK’s pronouncement. He looks back and forth between BETTY, the mouse, and RICK. After a moment, he stops tapping.

BRUCE

No.

BETTY  RICK JONES

How do you plan to prevent it? What do you mean, no?  


BRUCE

No. If we’re going to run a human test, I’ll be the test subject.    


BETTY RICK JONES  


What! No, Bruce, don’t be stupid, you can’t! This is my duty, sir, I can’t let you do this.  


BRUCE

_ (making calming hand motions) _ Listen,  _ (turning to BETTY) _ listen, Betty, it has to be this way. This is my work. I can’t let anybody else suffer for it if I’m wrong. This is the compromise. You want a test? I’ll do it.  _ (he looks at RICK) _ You have too much potential to throw it away on a premature human trial, Jones. You’ll go far.

RICK JONES

_ (resigned)  _ All right. I’m not in favour, but if that’s what you want, I’ll support it.

BETTY

I won’t! Bruce, please, don’t. Stop this, step back. We’ll find a way to convince my father to change his mind.

BRUCE

You know as well as I do that it won’t happen. This is my choice, Betty. 

BETTY is tearing up a bit, but she leans down to kiss him.

BETTY

_ (whispering)  _ You always do the right thing.  _ (her hand lingers on his face, then drags down to his chest) _ I love that about you.

BRUCE

_ (also murmuring) _ You should get to class. I won’t start without you, I promise.

BETTY smile but it’s watery. She nods, and kisses him one more time before she walks out. BRUCE watches her go, then turns to RICK.

BRUCE

Well, if we’re doing this, let’s do it properly. We’ll have to get this equipment over to the university hospital— we’ll use an x-ray room. Come on, I’ll need your help moving it.

BRUCE points something out to RICK and they set to work. The noise of BRUCE’s instructions fades out and a squeaking wheel fades in. The camera pans around the working men to focus on Werner Bachmann the third in his cage. Up close, you can see that his tiny muscles are bulging, and there’s a green tint to his body. He keeps running and running and running as the hamster wheel spins so fast it blurs. 

INT. A HOSPITAL HALLWAY - AFTERNOON

BRUCE, RICK JONES, and GENERAL ROSS are standing in the hallway talking to a doctor. 

BRUCE

Thank you for letting us use your x-ray space, doctor. You understand how concerned we are about safety in experiments like this.

DOCTOR

Of course, Dr. Banner. 

He ducks his head a bit and turns and walks away. BETTY passes him, hurrying up to them. 

BETTY

Are you sure about this?

BRUCE

Not at all.  _ (he glances at GENERAL ROSS) _ But there isn’t any choice. 

GENERAL ROSS

Well? Let’s get on with it. 

BRUCE gives BETTY a wry smile. She kisses him passionately before stepping back so he can go into the x-ray room. The rest follow him and go through to the shielded booth. ROSS puts his hand on BETTY’s shoulder, but she shrugs him off. In the background, very quietly, there’s an instrumental version of “Crow on the Cradle” woven in with the music. This is Hulk’s leitmotif.

BETTY

If something goes wrong in there, it’s your fault, Dad.

GENERAL ROSS

Elizabeth...

She doesn’t look at him. In the main room, BRUCE is picking up a prepared syringe from a small table next to the x-ray bed, where he’s sitting. Next to the bed, the gamma machines from his lab are pointing at him. His ankles are already strapped in. BRUCE gives himself three injections along the inside of his right arm, then lies down, strapping one of his hands in and doing his best with the second strap. 

BRUCE

Go, Jones.

Inside the booth, Jones presses a button on a remote. The gamma machines whine as they rev up, and then BRUCE jolts on the bed, twisting and thrashing. He’s screaming. We see his body being burned red. BETTY has her hand over her mouth in horror, and JONES looks like he’s resisting reacting or stopping the radiation, but GENERAL ROSS is dispassionate. After a few seconds, JONES presses another button and the machines wind down. BRUCE stops screaming, lying there panting. The burned skin starts to heal immediately. BETTY bursts through to start unstrapping BRUCE. BRUCE is tugging at the restraints and trying to sit up.

BETTY

Just let me get these straps off, hold still.

BRUCE

That’s a nightmare. Even if it worked, there has to be a better way than burning people alive to save them.  _ (He watches as the last patches of burned skin heal up and disappear) _

RICK JONES

_ (holding a clipboard and making notes) _

How do you feel now, doctor?

BRUCE

_ (frowning, scratching at his skin) _

Itchy, like a healing sunburn. And I don’t know if I can stand up. I need a nap.

RICK JONES

Why don’t you sit until you feel up to it and then go back to the lab and do the blood test? I’ll make sure the equipment gets back to the lab and meet you there.

BRUCE

Thanks, Rick. I’ll meet you over there. We really should check my blood as soon as possible. The burns healing doesn’t mean I don’t have any symptoms of radiation sickness, and we won’t know for sure for days.  _ (He tries to push himself up, but stumbles, and BETTY catches him) _

BETTY

I’ll help you over there and you can start the tests.

GENERAL ROSS

_ (as they start walking together) _

What do you mean it will be a few days?

The door swings shut behind them.

INT. BRUCE’S LAB - AFTERNOON

Werner Bachman is still running in his wheel, though not as fast as before, and the wheel squeaks. The door swings open, and GENERAL ROSS strides in. He doesn’t think to hold the door, and BETTY, who is still supporting BRUCE, has to catch it with her other hand so they can go through. She helps BRUCE over to a chair, and he sits down. Then she bustles around a table pulling up a microscope and getting a clean glass plate. The GENERAL watches.

The door bursts open and RICK JONES walks in, pulling some of the gamma machinery on a cart. Behind him are two STUDENTS, carrying the rest of the smaller pieces. 

RICK JONES

You can just set them on that table over there, thanks. Carefully, though.

The STUDENTS set all their stuff down, then wave at the other scientists in the room.

MIRANDA

Hey, Doctor Banner. Heard you were doing some testing?

BRUCE

Hi Miranda, Joseph. I was, yes, and it went better than expected.

JOSEPH

Does this mean that the worksheets aren’t due until next week?

BRUCE

_ (laughing) _

They’re still due tomorrow, I’m afraid.

JOSEPH

It was worth a try. We’ll leave you guys to your work. See you around, Doctor Banner! See you, Doctor Ross.

BETTY waves at them. RICK JONES walks over and takes up the tools BETTY was collecting.

RICK JONES

Thanks Doctor Ross. Doctor Banner, your finger please.

He pokes his finger with a needle, and smears his blood on a microscope slide. Then he bends to look as he slides the microscope slide into place. The slide slides across the screen, and we see BRUCE’s blood. We can still hear the squeaking of the mouse wheel.

GENERAL ROSS

_ (v/o) _

Is this the mouse you tested the serum on earlier? He doesn’t seem to be experiencing the same weakness.

BRUCE

_ (v/o) _

That was yesterday morning. He’s just had time to recover, he was pretty limp when we first took him out.

BRUCE’s blood looks completely normal. We zoom back out and see JONES stand up straight again.

RICK JONES

Cell count looks good from here. Of course, we should do some more in-depth tests. I’ll take a larger sample, and then you should eat something.

BRUCE

No abnormalities?

RICK JONES

Not that I can see, but you should check yourself later. Really, get yourself a late lunch.

JONES has been tying off BRUCE’s tourniquet and sanitizing his arm, and now he inserts the needle and starts drawing his blood.

BRUCE

Sounds good.  _ (he looks over at BETTY)  _ What should we eat?

BETTY has been looking at a file, and she looks up at him.

BETTY

Mexican? But I’ll need to drop by my lab, afterwards. The reaction should be nearly finished.

BRUCE

How did it look, this morning? Was the containment for the oil slick working?

BETTY

The containment is working; it’s the cleanup that’s uncertain. But it looked good.

JONES draws the last vial of blood, bandages BRUCE up, and takes off the tourniquet.

JONES

All done, doc. Have a nice lunch date! See you in an hour or so.

BRUCE

Thanks, Rick. Good work today.

JONES helps BRUCE to his feet, and waits until he’s steady to let go. BETTY picks up her purse from the lab table, and she and BRUCE leave the lab. GENERAL ROSS looks over at the blood consideringly, then at RICK JONES. 

GENERAL ROSS

Jones, debrief. I know you don’t have all the information yet, but I want to know your thoughts. 

RICK JONES

Of course, sir.

JONES turns off the lights as they both walk out the door, which slams closed behind them. In the dark of the lab, BRUCE’s blood is glowing faint, radioactive green. The mouse wheel is still squeaking.

EXT. FRONT YARD OF BRUCE’S CHILDHOOD HOME - EVENING

We see a LITTLE BOY climbing into an old car, pushing a bag full of books ahead of him. The car is running, the radio is on, and it’s playing “Crow on the Cradle” staticky and soft.

_ PETE SEEGER (v/o) _

_ Rockabye baby, the dark and the light _

_ Somebody's baby is born for a fight _

_ Rockabye baby, the white and the black _

_ Somebody's baby is not coming back _

_ Sang the crow on the cradle _

A WOMAN bustles up, carrying another bag, and bends to lift the BOY into the car. As she does so, there’s a shout.

BRIAN BANNER

What are you doing?! Stop that, stop right there!

A MAN stumbles towards them, clearly drunk. The BOY pushes himself further into the car, watching warily. The WOMAN shuts the door behind him and walks quickly around the car, ignoring the MAN.

BRIAN BANNER

Hey! Don’t you ignore me! Where are you going? What is this, huh?

The MAN is close to the car now, and the WOMAN is fumbling with the door handle. The BOY has turned to look out the window, eyes wide and scared.

BRIAN BANNER

I said don’t ignore me! Where— hey!

The WOMAN opens the door and goes to get into the driver’s seat, and the MAN grabs her shoulder and throws her onto the pavement. She hits her head, and doesn’t move again.

The BOY screams, wrenching the door open and running to his mother as the MAN stares, not having registered what happened.

YOUNG BRUCE

_ (screaming and crying) _

Mother? Mother!

The MAN looks over at the BOY, and the BOY looks back up at him. The camera swings to take the BOY’s point of view, and the MAN looms. He raises his hand to strike the BOY, and there’s a hard cut to

INT. BRUCE’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

BRUCE screams, his body thrashing, and the HULK bursts out of BRUCE’s pyjamas, fists swinging. HULK’s eyes open, and he’s yelling incoherently. He stands up, sees himself in the mirror, and breaks it. He hits a couple other things before he finds the door and knocks it off its hinges. Bruce’s mother’s picture falls over and the glass cracks a bit. HULK makes it out to the front hall, knocking down pictures on the way, and instead of getting through the actual door he breaks through the wall next to it. HULK is mostly angry and disoriented, he’s not used to his strength, so he doesn’t use it deliberately. Luckily BRUCE’s apartment is on the first floor, so HULK barrels down a staircase and hits the glass entrance full force, breaking out onto the street. There are no cars at this time of night, but HULK looks into the streetlight and is surprised by it. He stumbles away, bumbles down the street, through a couple alleys, and to a park area. He hits a couple trees, breaking them, and some of the wood splinters get stuck in his hand. This shocks him enough that he stops, looking at his hurt hand, and sits down. HULK shrinks back down to BRUCE, who topples onto his side in the grass and falls back to sleep.

EXT. A CITY PARK - EARLY MORNING

BRUCE wakes up, shivering in the early morning cold. He obviously has no idea what happened, and he’s wearing only the tattered remains of his pyjama pants. He pushes himself to his feet, looking at the cracked trees, then down at his hand, like he remembers something. There’s nothing wrong with his hands. 

BRUCE

What in the world?

He looks around once more, then starts walking back to his apartment.

EXT. BRUCE’S APARTMENT BUILDING - MORNING

From afar, we see that there’s a police car and a couple uniformed officers in front of the shattered front door. BRUCE winces, then goes around the back instead. He lets himself in with a keycode and goes up to his apartment, where he sees that his wall is also broken. He climbs through the hole, going straight into the kitchen and dialing a number on his cell phone.

BRUCE

Hey Betty. I think something might have gone wrong with that experiment after all.

INT. BRUCE’S LIVING ROOM - MORNING

BRUCE is sitting on his couch, eyes closed and head back. There’s a knocking, and then BETTY walks in— she got in through the hole too. BRUCE startles as she walks in, and his eyes flash green, but when he realises it’s BETTY he calms. He pulls earplugs out of his ears.

BETTY

Bruce! What on earth happened? There’s police tape outside, there’s a hole in your wall, everything is destroyed...

BRUCE

As far as I can tell,I happened.(he waves a hand around)I woke up this morning in Riverside Park, came home to the hole by the door. Half an hour ago someone slammed their door and clattered on the stairs, and I blacked out and when I woke up (he gestures to the living room, which is a bit trashed. Books everywhere, armchair overturned, the other end of the couch sagging), well, you see it. Hence the earplugs.

BETTY

Radiation poisoning doesn’t usually manifest in destructive urges, Bruce.

BRUCE

Maybe we did something besides poison me, then, but it’s been difficult to figure it out when I feel like someone’s going to attack me any second.

BETTY

You’re jumpy, then?

BRUCE

You could say that.

BETTY

Well, the first thing to do is see if your results from last night have changed. Do you think you could make it into the lab so we could look at your blood again, maybe take another sample?

BRUCE

I can try.

BRUCE stands up, picks up his phone from the ground. It’s smashed, so he leaves it. As he moves towards the door, a car alarm goes off outside, loud and blaring. BRUCE’s body immediately changes, and within two steps he’s the HULK. He growls, looking around for the source of the sound. BETTY shrinks back for a moment, then steps forward and tries to get HULK’s attention.

BETTY

Bruce? Bruce, listen to me! It’s just a car alarm, Bruce, I need you to calm down.

HULK brushes her off, not hard for him but it knocks her into the wall, and shoves his way out the hole in the wall again. He storms along the route from last night, busting out the front, which has just been patched over, and into the street. There he can identify the car that’s still going off, and the man outside it who’s fiddling with a key fob. HULK stomps over and smashes the car, roaring. The man shrieks,which draws HULK’s attention to him, and HULK roars at him. The man doesn’t attack, so after a tense standoff HULK turns his attention to the other people gathering in the street, phones out. He’s confused. At the end of the street, where there’s a crowd, someone is trying to get through in a car and they honk their horn. HULK rushes towards the car, scattering people, and shoves it back. The car skids back but those inside are just a bit shaken. People scream, and from behind the HULK there’s a slam and then a voice shouts 

GUNMAN

Hey, beast! Over here!

The MAN has an assault rifle and he opens fire on the HULK. There’s more screaming, and though the bullets lodge in HULK they don’t have much effect. With pain coming from one side and terrible noise from the other, HULK starts swatting around him and roaring.

INT. GENERAL ROSS’ OFFICE - MORNING

ROSS is on the phone, watching a news broadcast of shaky phone-camera footage on his computer. In the broadcast, HULK picks up the man shooting him, and you can faintly hear BETTY off to the side calling for BRUCE to stop.

GENERAL ROSS

Yes, I am aware of the situation. The army has it under control, we don’t need your backup, agent.

In the footage, HULK sets the man down, stumbles towards BETTY who is now in frame, shrinking back down into BRUCE and collapsing.

GENERAL ROSS

This was a military experiment, funded and operated by our scientists. This is not your jurisdiction... The transfer of this information was approved by Alexander Pierce years ago, you can’t just claim the results are your property... Banner was working for the United States Military, Agent, and this is not what we expected but it is still a breakthrough. You don’t get to do the final report and then give us a ration of supersoldiers out of the goodness of your heart. I will take this all the way to the President’s desk if I have to... goodbye, sir.

He hangs up and closes his computer, cutting off the broadcast, then stalks over to the door and pushes it open. An aide is right on the other side and they’re startled. 

GENERAL ROSS

Walk with me, Cruz. I need someone to run a trace on my daughter’s phone, and then I need a unit to go after Banner and bring him in. There’s no time to lose.

EXT. THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY - MIDDAY

BRUCE and BETTY are sitting on the grass by the side of the road. BRUCE is breathing deeply, and BETTY has her hand on his back, murmuring to him. Now that BRUCE isn’t wearing a shirt, we can see that he has vivid track marks where he injected the serum yesterday. A truck goes by, loud, and BRUCE startles. We can see green wash over his skin but BETTY is soothing him and he doesn’t transform. They stand up and start to walk into the woods a bit. They don’t go too far, not wanting to get lost, they just get away from the loudest noise.

BETTY

Don’t think about what’s around you, think about the experiment. What could have gone wrong?

BRUCE

I... don’t know. This wasn’t what we expected. I thought I was just going to be poisoned, honestly. Maybe that I would be poisoned and then cured. Turning into some giant green monster?  _ (he laughs, a bit hysterically) _ This wasn’t ever in the cards. It’s like... whatever we thought we were doing, we were doing something completely different.  _ (he’s quiet for awhile as they walk, then he groans) _

We... were doing something completely different. Dammit!

BETTY

What do you mean?

BRUCE

I think the real nature of the research I was doing was deliberately concealed from me. That’s what I think went wrong with the experiment.

BETTY

My father...?

BRUCE

It must have been. I’m sorry, Betty.

BETTY

No, I know what he can be like when he gets something into his head. If he thought the only way to get something done was to lie about it to everyone, he would do it. 

BRUCE

I can’t figure out what he actually wanted to get out of the experiments, though. The way I am now, I wouldn’t be any use in a war zone. I freak out whenever I hear a loud sound; I’m far too volatile. If you’re making an army of monsters, you want them to be monsters you can control. I’m too dangerous to be around people at all!

BETTY

You might be able to learn to control it. But I don’t think this is what my father expected, or he would have had people outside your apartment all night. The army has been pretty slow on the uptake, all around.

The low rumbling from the highway gets much louder, and then cuts. There’s some confused voices from the road.

GENERAL ROSS

_ (through a megaphone) _ Bruce Banner! Come peacefully. We just want to help you.

BRUCE and BETTY look at each other.

BRUCE

Speak of the devil.

EXT. THE HIGHWAY - MIDDAY

There are a couple lightly armoured vehicles pulled onto the grass, and soldiers with machine guns standing around. GENERAL ROSS is holding a megaphone and watching the tree line cautiously. BRUCE walks out, hands in his pockets.

BRUCE

You lied to me, General.

GENERAL ROSS

I told you you were saving lives by making stronger soldiers, and that was true.

BRUCE

You told me it was for protecting against radiation, for accelerated healing. That doesn’t account for what I’ve become.

BETTY comes out of the trees and stands next to BRUCE. Everyone is full of tension, and it shows. GENERAL ROSS is blustering, BETTY puts her hand on BRUCE to keep him calm, and BRUCE is jumpy. Every once in a while he clenches his fist, and green creeps along his muscles.

GENERAL ROSS

Which is why you should come in with us now. You’re dangerous, and we weren’t prepared for that. Come quietly, and we’ll put more people on researching this. Next time, it won’t happen this way.

BRUCE

Next time? Did you see what I did this morning? I nearly killed a man! This... thing, is completely uncontrollable. It’s way too dangerous to do this again.

GENERAL ROSS

That’s not your decision to make, son. If you want people to be safe, come in with us.

BRUCE

I don’t think so.

GENERAL ROSS

If you don’t come quietly, we will have to take you by force, Banner. You can’t just be wandering around like this. You have to come in to military custody.

BRUCE

I won’t be an accessory to this experiment any more. It’s not safe, and I won’t let it hurt more people. Don’t try to replicate the experiment, General. If you care at all about your men, don’t pursue this.

GENERAL ROSS

Are you resisting arrest, Banner?  _ (guns are leveled at BRUCE) _

BRUCE

I’m telling you— not to arrest me.

BRUCE seems to be really struggling with the HULK now that the guns are pointing at him. HULK’s theme is playing, really gently in the background. GENERAL ROSS is watching BRUCE struggle, and BETTY moves to intercede with her father.

BETTY

Dad, don’t do this, leave--

Suddenly, there’s a loud clatter, as a soldier drops his gun against the lightly armoured vehicle. BRUCE loses control and erupts into the HULK, roaring. Everyone else freezes, except BETTY.   


BETTY

Bruce, calm down, listen to me, hey!

GENERAL ROSS

What are you waiting for? Shoot it!   


HULK’s head whips toward BETTY, then the soldiers open fire and he looks back to GENERAL ROSS, growling. BETTY shrieks as bullets hit HULK, and HULK scoops her up, turning his back to the bullets to shield her. He roars again as the bullets keep coming, then runs into the woods, carrying BETTY with him.

GENERAL ROSS

Get after them, hurry!

HULK keeps running. He’s very fast.

BETTY

Bruce, listen, I need you to go back to town.

HULK

Not Bruce

BETTY

What?

HULK

_ (stops running, sets Betty down) _

Me. Not Bruce.

BETTY

Oh. You’re not Bruce? You’re someone else.

HULK

Yes

BETTY

What’s your name, then?

HULK

No name.

BETTY

You don’t have one?

HULK

No name.

BETTY

I could give you a name if you want. What kind of name do you want?

The HULK shrugs. He seems a bit baffled by BETTY, and even though they’ve stopped running, he keeps looking behind him. He expects to hear soldiers coming after them, but they’re not nearly as fast as HULK.

BETTY

You should have a name that isn’t Bruce’s, right? What makes you different from Bruce?

HULK

Bruce small. Me big, strong.

BETTY

So you need a strong name. Hmm.

She thinks. HULK is listening to the woods.

BETTY

What about Hulk? That’s a word that means very big.

HULK

Hulk big!

BETTY

That’s right! You’re Hulk!

HULK

Me Hulk. Not Bruce.

BETTY

You aren’t Bruce. But I need your help, Hulk. I need you to take us back to Bruce’s apartment. People are going to be coming after you and Bruce, and you need to run away. But Bruce will need clothes and other things. Can you help me?

HULK

Hulk help Bruce, lady.

BETTY

My name is Betty.

HULK

Hulk help Betty.  _ (he tilts his head, and the sound of yelling and crashing is heard in the distance)  _ Run now.

HULK picks BETTY up and starts running again, in the direction of the city.

EXT. BRUCE’S APARTMENT BUILDING - AFTERNOON

HULK runs up to the building, and BETTY pats his chest.

BETTY

Stop here, Hulk, stop.

He lets her slide to the ground.

BETTY

I need Bruce back now, Hulk, so that he can pack. You might need to help him again later, but he needs to pack and get you guys out of the city.

HULK

Betty too?

BETTY

I have to stay to make sure you get away, but I’ll see you again, Hulk. I’ll find a way to help you both. 

HULK touches BETTY’s hair, then closes his eyes and shrinks into BRUCE.

BRUCE

Betty? What happened?

BETTY

A lot of things. I need you to stay calm now, trust me. Go upstairs and pack up some clothes and everything. All the cash you have, as much easy food as you can fit in your bag. Then you need to run, Bruce.

BRUCE

Where? They’ll follow me. They’re the United States military, Betty.

BETTY

Anywhere. Leave your phone, leave your computer. Take as much money out of your bank account as you can, then cut up your card. Don’t use anything traceable.

BRUCE struggles to his feet, nodding.

BRUCE

You’re right, I can’t stay. Your father will never let this go. But I can’t leave any of my research, either. I have to destroy it before I leave, I have to go to the university.

BETTY

They’ll look for you there. I can do that, I’ll take care of the research, and I’ll keep them off your trail. You need to get out of town, as soon as you can.

BRUCE

Okay, okay, yes. You get to campus, I get out of town. I—  _ (his voice breaks. He’s clearly upset at leaving her behind.) _

BETTY

I love you.

BRUCE

I love you, too.

They kiss, then BRUCE breaks away and turns to walk into his building.

BETTY

Wait!  _ (she pulls out a slip of paper and scrawls something on it) _ Contact me like this. I’ll talk to you soon.

BRUCE takes the paper, huffing a laugh when he sees it. He smiles crookedly.

BRUCE

Goodbye, Betty.

BRUCE turns and walks into the building. BETTY watches him go sadly, and after a moment turns and starts running towards the university.

INT. BRUCE’S BEDROOM - AFTERNOON

BRUCE, now properly dressed again, drags his hiking backpack out of the closet and starts stuffing his clothes into it. There’s a ringing from the living room— his phone— and he looks towards it for a minute. Then his face hardens and he ignores it. He sweeps a couple bills and a pile of coins off the dresser and into a small pocket. Then he hefts the bag and goes out to the living room. 

He stuffs his feet into his hiking boots, looks around. He spots the phone on the couch. He picks it up, looks at it for a second, then pries the back off, takes out the microchip, and breaks it between his fingers. He looks around for his laptop, picks it up, and throws it out the window. We hear it crash on the pavement.

Bruce looks around his apartment one more time, taking a picture of himself and BETTY, going back to his room for the picture of his mother in the broken frame. He runs his hand along the books on his shelf, laughing bitterly as he passes ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ and ‘Frankenstein’. In the end he takes ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’, tucks it into the top of the bag, leaving just enough room for his bathroom towel. He latches it closed, takes his coat, and walks out the door, leaving the keys under the mat. He looks back and forth, then goes down the back stairs and out of the building.

INT. BRUCE’s APARTMENT - AFTERNOON

GENERAL ROSS ducks through the hole in the wall and looks around. He’s followed by a couple of soldiers.

GENERAL ROSS

Banner?  _ (he turns to the soldiers) _ Search the apartment.

SOLDIER

Yessir.

The soldiers rummage around the apartment, looking under the bed and behind the shower curtain, in closets. In the kitchen, the cupboards are all open and there are noticeable gaps. In the bedroom, the half-empty drawers are still open. One looks out the open window.

SOLDIER #1

Sir? It looks like he was already here and gone.

SOLDIER #2

And it looks like he’s trying to destroy all his work. Someone threw a computer out the window.

GENERAL ROSS

Damn it, Banner! They’ll have gone to the university next, then. His work is there.

ROSS and the soldiers duck out the way they came in.

INT. BRUCE’S LAB - AFTERNOON

BETTY is bent over the computer, deleting files and records. Werner Bachmann the third is squeaking and rattling his cage door. In BETTY’s open purse, we can see the vials of BRUCE’s blood, securely capped. They’re glowing very faintly in the partial dark of the bag. There are voices in the hall, GENERAL ROSS and someone else. Quickly, BETTY closes her computer window, picks up a stack of papers, and flings them under the fume hood. She digs a lighter out of a drawer, fumbling a bit. The voices stop, and there are heavy footsteps coming closer. BETTY gets a flame and lights the top paper on fire just as the door slams open and GENERAL ROSS strides in, followed by the soldiers from the apartment. He sees BETTY without BRUCE.

GENERAL ROSS

Where is he?

BETTY

Gone.

GENERAL ROSS

Gone where?

BETTY

I don’t know. He didn’t say.

GENERAL ROSS

And what are you doing? Did he send you to destroy his work?

BETTY

Oh, I volunteered.

The fire of papers under the fume hood smolders and stops burning. BETTY turns to it and lights three pages on fire in succession.

GENERAL ROSS

Those are government documents, Elizabeth. You can’t just burn them.

BETTY just raises an eyebrow and watches the last of the pages shrivelling to ash. 

BETTY

It’s a bit late to be telling me that. Sorry, Dad. It’s all gone.

GENERAL ROSS

You’re playing a dangerous game, Elizabeth. End it here. Tell me where Banner is, let me help him.

BETTY

I really don’t know. I didn’t want to know.

GENERAL ROSS

We’ll find him sooner or later. Go home, and don’t try to get in touch with him or help him in any way. If he keeps causing trouble, I don’t want you to get caught up in it.

BETTY

It seems to me like he’s trying  **not** to cause trouble.

GENERAL ROSS

Keep out of it, Elizabeth.

GENERAL ROSS turns on his heel and strides out of the room. The soldiers follow him. BETTY takes a deep breath, pulls a USB stick out of the computer she was working at, and puts it in her purse with the blood. Then she goes over to the mouse cage.

BETTY

Oh, Werner.

She picks up the cage and leaves the lab.

EXT. CULVER UNIVERSITY BUS LOOP - LATE AFTERNOON

GENERAL ROSS watches from a distance as BETTY gets on the bus, cage in one hand. She seems to be apologising profusely to the bus driver for bringing a live animal on the bus, but he waves her in. As, through the window, we see her sit down, the bus pulls away from the curb and leaves.

RICK JONES

General?

RICK JONES has come up behind ROSS as he watched the bus. JONES is anxious, and he’s looking at the news on a PDA. 

GENERAL ROSS

Jones. I assume you’ve heard about Banner.

RICK JONES

Just horrible, sir. Where is he now?

GENERAL ROSS

We don’t know. I have people looking for him.

RICK JONES

This is the end of the project, then? For it to go that wrong...

GENERAL ROSS

We’re going to have to re-examine the parameters and possibilities of Project Rebirth, yes, but it’s not certain yet that we’ll be terminating the project altogether.

RICK JONES

But—

GENERAL ROSS

I’m giving you some leave, Sergeant. Go home, spend some time with your family. Come back in two weeks, and we’ll have decided the fate of the project. Banner destroyed all his research, so if we do continue to pursue it, we’ll need your expertise.

RICK JONES

Yessir. 

MONTAGE

  * INT. A LIBRARY - DAY - BRUCE logs into a library computer and sets up a new email address. His first email is from ‘Mr. Green’ to ‘Dr. Blue’, asking for advice for a friend who had a lab accident. ‘Draft Morning’ by the Byrds starts playing. 
  * INT. BETTY’S APARTMENT - DAY - BETTY is flipping through some papers, making notes and referring back to something on her computer. There’s a stack of books on the table: biology, biochemistry, one on gamma radiation. She looks over at a picture of her and BRUCE together. Werner Bachmann the third is running in a nicer, larger mouse habitat. 



THE BYRDS (v/o)

_ Sun warm on my face, I hear you _

_ down below, movin’ slow _

_ and it’s morning _

  * INT. A GRUNGY MOTEL ROOM - EARLY MORNING - BRUCE thrashes in the bed, green washing over his muscles, then wakes up right before he hulks out. He breathes deeply and reaches to the bedside table for his glasses and his two pictures. He looks at them side by side until he calms down.



THE BYRDS (v/o)

_ Take my time this morning, no hurry _

_ to learn to kill and take the will _

_ from unknown faces _

  * INT. GENERAL ROSS’ OFFICE - EVENING - An aide walks in with a file and sets it in front of GENERAL ROSS, followed by two other soldiers. He reads it, then slams his hands on the desk and stands up, shouting something. The music transitions into the gunfire of the bridge.
  * EXT. FAVELAS OF RIO DE JANEIRO - BRUCE is freerunning across the rooftops, heading towards the outskirts, chased by soldiers on the ground. He gets too close to street level and the soldiers open fire. BRUCE erupts into HULK, who tears through the street and out into the woods. He carries the backpack with one broken strap pinched between his huge fingers.
  * INT. A LAB - DAY - RICK JONES is filling syringes and laying them methodically on the table. He seems to be lingering, taking his time. The camera pulls out, and there are two armed soldiers at the door and another two a little ways behind JONES. He fills the last needle and steps back, hands out to his sides non-threateningly. Two soldiers grab him and lead him out. Just beyond the door we see a suite that looks a lot like the one BRUCE was treated in. Another soldier picks up the tray of needles and follows them.



THE BYRDS (v/o)

_ Today was the day for action _

_ leave my bed to kill instead _

_ why should it happen? _

  * INT. BETTY’S APARTMENT KITCHEN - NIGHT - BETTY is wearing safety goggles and a lab coat. She carefully titrates one chemical with another, then pours them into a beaker over a small flame. Then she puts a couple drops into a vial of blood, one among many. She turns out the lights and all the vials except that one glow in the dark. The song bridge plays again.
  * EXT. RAINFOREST - DAY - BRUCE is running hard through the trees, and there’s crashing and noise following him. He’s starting to struggle with the HULK, but he doesn’t turn into him. The crashing stops, and BRUCE stops running, leaning against a tree and panting, letting HULK fade away completely.



THE BYRDS (v/o)

_ Today was the day for action _

_ leave my bed to kill instead _

_ why should it happen? _

END OF MONTAGE

EXT. RAINFOREST - DAY

The music fades out with the rendition of Taps at the end.

BRUCE is getting ready to run again when he hears screaming in the distance. He looks back the way he came. The screaming cuts off, and BRUCE hefts his backpack and starts going in the opposite direction, but then the screaming comes back. Reluctantly, BRUCE jogs back the way he came, towards the screaming.

EXT. RAINFOREST - DAY

BRUCE comes across a body lying on the forest floor. It’s RICK JONES. He is still screaming, but his voice is mostly gone, so it’s silent. He’s thrashing and clutching at his heart. BRUCE kneels down next to him.

BRUCE

Rick? Rick, what’s wrong, I need you to tell me what’s wrong.

RICK JONES

_ (whispering) _ It burns, Doc. Heart— racing— burning— 

BRUCE

_ (taking his pulse)  _ Your pulse is way too high. What have they done, what happened?

JONES convulses, and reaches to clutch at BRUCE’s arm. BRUCE is pouring water from a water bottle onto a spare shirt and trying to dab at JONES’ forehead.

BRUCE

Breathe deep, Rick, I need you to lower your heart rate.

RICK JONES

Doc, listen,

BRUCE

Deep breaths. I’m listening, I’m here to help.

RICK JONES

_ (gasping)  _ They’re— still trying. Gotta run, doc. They’re still trying.

JONES tries to follow BRUCE’s instructions, but ends up gasping a couple times before he convulses again and dies.

BRUCE

Rick? Oh.

He slumps and bows his head over JONES’ body. After a second, he starts to look over the body for cause of death. He pushes back the sleeve of his jacket further, having spotted something. JONES’ inner elbow has track marks just like the ones the serum gave BRUCE. BRUCE pushes up his own sleeve to compare.

BRUCE

_ (murmuring)  _ They’re still trying.

INT. A VAN - DAY

GENERAL ROSS is sitting in the back of the van with some soldiers, watching a computer with a tracking signal on it. The signal blinks rapidly, then disappears.

GENERAL ROSS

He’s gone. What happened, why is the signal gone?

SOLDIER

Sergeant Jones, come in. Come in, Jones.

There’s no response. Another soldier is looking at something on the computers, then he sits back and rubs a hand over his face.

SOLDIER

That tracker was also tracking his vitals. He’s dead.

INT. A BUS TERMINAL IN LA PAZ, BOLIVIA - DAY

BRUCE is buying a bus ticket out to a town near the border. The bus terminal is bustling, and there are many tourists. With his hiking backpack, he doesn’t stand out much. 

BRUCE

Un boleto a Copacabana, por favor.

TICKET SELLER

¿ahí y atrás?

BRUCE

Unidireccional, gracias.

TICKET SELLER

_ (handing him a ticket)  _ Que tengas un buen viaje.

BRUCE

Gracias.

BRUCE takes his ticket and sits down. He digs into his backpack and pulls out a creased paper that he’s obviously looked at often. It’s a printed off email, dated November 2007, from Dr. Blue. All it says is ‘I think I’ve found a cure. Come home.’ He reads it over and over, running his fingers over the words. 

Suddenly, there’s an announcement for his bus over the loudspeaker. BRUCE hastily folds the paper up and slides it into his bag, rushing for the bus.

INT. GENERAL ROSS’ OFFICE - DAY

GENERAL ROSS is sitting at his desk, flipping through a report, when there’s a knock at the door.

GENERAL ROSS

Come in.

An aide comes in, and there’s a large man just behind her outside the door.

AIDE

Captain Blonsky to see you, general.

She steps out of the way and BLONSKY walks in and snaps to attention with a salute. GENERAL ROSS looks him over for a moment, then stands up too.

GENERAL ROSS

At ease, Captain. If you’ll excuse us, Ms. Hughes.

HUGHES

Of course, General.  _ (she nods to him and leaves the room, closing the door behind her).  _

GENERAL ROSS

Captain Emil Blonsky, United States Marines. Two tours in Iraq, and then two years special ops with the 1st Marine Raiders. Is that right?

BLONSKY

Yes, sir.

GENERAL ROSS

_ (moving to sit down, gesturing at the chair across the desk) _ Have a seat, Captain. What do you know about Project Rebirth?

BLONSKY

It’s the Captain America experiment, sir. Turned Steve Rogers into a super soldier.

GENERAL ROSS

Yes, that’s it exactly. As I’m sure you know, Steve Rogers was, himself, the best weapon the U. S. Military has ever had. More dangerous than the nuclear bomb, in the right hands. Bombs can’t think, they’re not creative, but Rogers was both a tactical mastermind and the best fighter in the world. I think you understand why the military wouldn’t want to just give that up.

BLONSKY

Yessir.

GENERAL ROSS

Project Rebirth was never officially closed, and in 2002 we began active research again. For the past six years, I’ve been the head of this project, and as of last month we’re sure we’ve unlocked the answers. Just in time, too, as it has never been more necessary  _ (he pulls a large file out of a pile and slides it across to BLONSKY).  _ Do you recall the Frankenstein incident here in West Virginia, about three years ago? In 2005.

BLONSKY

I saw something about it in the news. Some giant green creature attacking people in the streets? Was that related to Project Rebirth?

GENERAL ROSS

That giant green creature was Dr. Bruce Banner, a scientist who was working on this project for us. When he hit a breakthrough, he used the serum and radiation treatment on himself, turned himself into Frankenstein.

BLONSKY

Frankenstein’s monster.

GENERAL ROSS

What?

BLONSKY

Frankenstein was the man, not the monster.  _ (When GENERAL ROSS just stares at him for a moment, bemused, he elaborates a bit.)  _ It was a particular interest of mine, as a young man. The secret of life, the übermensch... Excuse my interruption, General.

GENERAL ROSS

I see. Well, Banner became this monster, and he destroyed his research and went on the run. To this day, he is carrying military property in his blood and refusing to turn himself in. He’s incredibly dangerous, and thus far we’ve been unable to capture him. It took us years to figure out everything that Banner took from us.

BLONSKY

Why are you telling me all this, sir?

GENERAL ROSS

It’s going to take a super soldier to catch a super soldier, Captain. You come highly recommended by your peers and superior officers as the perfect fighter, and you’re our top candidate for the new serum. What do you think?

BLONSKY reaches for the file and flips through it, looking at the before and after pictures of STEVE ROGERS, at the pictures of BRUCE BANNER and the HULK. He nods.

BLONSKY

It’s an honour, sir. What treatment will be involved?

GENERAL ROSS

Just a series of simple injections, Captain. We’ll start soon, as soon as the labs are prepared. If I were you, I would take your couple days’ leave. We’ll be calling you in for this very soon.

There’s a knock at the door, and then MS. HUGHES steps in again.

HUGHES

A report from Sergeant Coleman, General.

She hands him a closed file and steps back against the wall. GENERAL ROSS opens the file and scans it, then looks up at BLONSKY.

GENERAL ROSS

It looks like we’re going to need you even sooner than expected, Captain.

BLONSKY’s eyes go to the file, sharp, and he nods.

EXT. CULVER UNIVERSITY BUS LOOP - DAY

BRUCE, still carrying the same old backpack and looking a bit ragged, steps off the bus for the first time in three years. He’s a bit slow about it, looking around at the familiar campus, and he’s jostled by students in a hurry. He tugs a cap low over his eyes and starts walking towards the science buildings.

EXT. A UNIVERSITY SCIENCE BUILDING - DAY

BRUCE is sitting on a bench outside, pretending to be absorbed in a book. Over top of the pages, he watches people going in and out. Soon, he spots BETTY walking in. She’s wearing her lab coat, nothing blue. He ‘accidentally’ bumps his own backpack, which falls to the ground with a loud clatter. BETTY looks over, and their eyes meet for a bare second. Then she looks away and walks into the building. BRUCE smiles to himself.

INT. A HALLWAY OUTSIDE BETTY’S CLASSROOM - EARLY AFTERNOON

BETTY is talking to a student, but we can’t hear what they’re discussing over the noise of students leaving and talking amongst themselves. She seems to wrap up the discussion, and she picks up her bags and follows her students out into the crowded hallway. She scans the crowd ahead of her as she walks, and keeps darting looks behind her, but whoever she’s looking for doesn’t show up. She breaks from the crowd and takes a couple progressively empty hallways and climbs a staircase, ending up in a nearly empty hallway with a large lab space. Someone is sleeping on a couch in the hall but otherwise it’s empty. She looks around one more time, then goes to open the lab.

BRUCE

Hey, uh, doctor?

BETTY spins around, startled, to see that the sleeping person has stood up. It’s BRUCE, looking sheepish.

BRUCE

Yeah, you. In the blue.

BETTY laughs a bit as BRUCE picks up his bag and walks over to her, but she’s crying a bit too.

BRUCE

I have some questions about some of your research, I was wondering if you had some time to talk...

BRUCE reaches BETTY as she fumbles the door open, and they both stumble inside. As soon as the door falls shut behind them, they set their bags down and fall into each other’s arms. They haven’t bothered with the lights, so the room is dim, but they kiss, then BETTY leans her forehead against BRUCE’s. They’re both crying. 

BETTY

Hi.

BRUCE

Hi. I love you.

BETTY

I love you so much, I’ve missed you so much.  _ (they stay like that for a moment, kissing again, never stopping the hug)  _ Nothing has been the same without you. Even Werner has missed you.

BRUCE

The mouse? He’s still alive?

BETTY

He’s exceptionally healthy, actually.  _ (she pauses for a moment just to take BRUCE in again) _ Unlike you. How are you doing?

BRUCE

Much better for being home. I wish I could stay.

BETTY

Maybe you can.

She kisses him one more time, and then they separate.

BETTY

We should probably do this as quickly as we safely can. My father is getting worse, and I know I’m being watched. I don’t want anyone to find us before we’re sure you’re safe.

BRUCE

Let’s get started, then. No gamma equipment?  _ (he looks around the lab) _

BETTY

I didn’t seem to need it, when I did the tests. Besides, we’re trying to cure you of radiation poisoning, not give it to you again. Hypothetically. Though I do feel a bit bad, trying to get rid of the other guy.

BETTY has flipped the lights on, and BRUCE helps her get the injections prepared. In the background, we see a lot of other chemistry equipment, a couple newspaper articles pinned to a board.

BRUCE

Why? He’s just Mr. Hyde given full reign of my body. He just destroys things, he hurts people. My dark side doesn’t need to be able to take over at any moment.

BETTY

_ (earnestly)  _ He’s a separate person, Bruce, he thinks of himself as independent from you. And when I talked to him, he just wanted to help you. I don’t think Hulk is a bad guy or your dark side. He isn’t Mr. Hyde.

BRUCE

_ (quiet but a bit hysterical)  _ He has a name? You  **talked** to him?

BETTY

Of course I did. I needed his help to protect you, and he helped me. And he wanted a name that meant that he was strong, so I gave him one.

BRUCE

He destroyed three neighbourhoods in Rio, Betty, eight people died.

BETTY

Eight soldiers. People who were trying to kidnap him.

BRUCE

That’s no excuse! He killed people.  _ (he sighs deeply) _ Let’s just get this over with. Hopefully it means I won’t have to argue about the personhood of my giant green rage monster _ (he casts about the room for a change of subject).  _ Where did you get the hospital table and restraints?

BETTY

I enlisted some med students.

BRUCE

_ (nodding)  _ Students never ask questions.

BRUCE sits down on the table, and BETTY straps him in. As she checks over the restraints, talking gently to him, ‘Crow on the Cradle’ starts playing very softly in the background.

MONTAGE

  * INT. MILITARY LAB - AFTERNOON - BLONSKY is sitting on a surgery table much like BRUCE’s, but nicer. GENERAL ROSS is standing off to the side, and scientists in scrubs and lab coats are bustling around. BLONSKY lies back on the table, and the scientists line up injections on a small metal tray.



JUDY COLLINS (v/o)

_ The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn _

_ now is the time for a child to be born. _

_ He’ll laugh at the moon and he’ll cry for the sun _

_ and if he’s a boy, he’ll carry a gun, _

_ Sang the crow on the cradle. _

  * INT. BETTY’S LAB - AFTERNOON - BRUCE writhes on the table, green taking over at the edges of his skin. He snarls, muscles bulging, on the verge of a Hulkout. BETTY murmurs to him, then smoothly injects the first needle and picks up the next one.



JUDY COLLINS (v/o)

_ And if it should be that this baby’s a girl _

_ never you mind if her hair doesn’t curl. _

_ With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, _

_ and a bomber above her wherever she goes, _

_ sang the crow on the cradle. _

  * INT. MILITARY LAB - AFTERNOON - BLONKSY is screaming as the scientists give him one injection after another. He rocks against his restraints and his muscles bulge. GENERAL ROSS opens the door and lets in a couple soldiers who hold BLONSKY down further.



JUDY COLLINS (v/o)

_ The crow on the cradle, the black and the white, _

_ somebody’s baby is born for a fight. _

_ The crow on the cradle, the white on the black _

_ somebody’s baby is not coming back, _

_ sang the crow on the cradle. _

  * INT. BETTY’S LAB - AFTERNOON - BETTY sets down the last needle and reaches out to soothe BRUCE’s forehead. Where it was clear HULK was straining to come out, he now recedes and BRUCE is left panting on the table. He screws up his face and tries to get worked up again, but nothing happens. BETTY and BRUCE smile at each other.



JUDY COLLINS (v/o)

_ Your mother and father, they’ll scrimp and they’ll save _

_ to build you a coffin and dig you a grave. _

_ Hushabye little one, why do you weep? _

_ We’ve got a toy that will put you to sleep, _

_ sang the crow on the cradle. _

  * INT. MILITARY LAB - AFTERNOON - The scientists lay down the final needle. With a shout, BLONSKY tears his arms out of the restraints, which weren’t very strong. He throws the soldier restraining him across the room, then lunges to tear away his ankle cuffs. Standing, he shoves the other soldier against the wall, snarling, before he backs down. A shudder goes down his spine, and we can see all his muscles standing out. He turns his snarling face towards GENERAL ROSS.



JUDY COLLINS (v/o)

_ Bring me a gun and I’ll shoot that bird dead, _

_ that’s what your mother and father once said. _

_ Crow on the cradle, what shall we do? _

_ That is the thing I must leave up to you, _

_ sang the crow on the cradle. _

  * INT. BETTY’S LAB - AFTERNOON - BETTY undoes BRUCE’s restraints and helps him sit up. They’re both grinning big. The outro of the song plays, and fades.



BETTY

We should get out of here.

END MONTAGE

INT. MILITARY LAB - AFTERNOON

GENERAL ROSS and BLONSKY are staring at each other, in a bit of a tense standoff, but after a moment, BLONSKY stands down. There’s a knock on the door, and GENERAL ROSS yanks it open.

HUGHES

Sir, a report just came in for you. Banner’s been sighted on campus at Culver U this morning.

There’s silence for a moment, as a grin spreads over BLONSKY’s face. GENERAL ROSS takes the single page from her and scans it.

GENERAL ROSS

Captain Blonsky? Time to suit up.

EXT. CULVER CAMPUS - AFTERNOON

BRUCE and BETTY are walking across the campus. BRUCE is carrying two steaming takeout containers— they’ve stopped for food. Though they’re clearly in a hurry, they’re trying to be nonchalant.

BRUCE

_ (teasingly)  _ If there’s anything I missed nearly as much as you, it’s the food at Bangkok Kitchen.  _ (he opens the container and picks out a piece of meat and eats it) _

BETTY

_ (chiding, but also teasing)  _ You’re lucky I let you pick up food before we tested this. You can eat in the car on the way out of town, leave it alone for now.

BRUCE

But—

Just then, there’s a vibrating noise. BETTY reaches into her pocket and pulls out her ringing phone. The screen reads ‘DAD’.

BETTY

_ (picking up the phone) _ Hey Dad, what’s going on?  _ (pause) _ What do you mean, a criminal on campus?  _ (pause)  _ That’s hardly— Dad— it’s Bruce, isn’t it. That’s why you won’t tell me what’s going on.  _ (pause. BETTY and BRUCE look at each other, then start running towards the parking lot) _ It doesn’t matter, I’m not—

BETTY is cut off by the distant sound of helicopters, and she takes the phone away from her ear and drops it on the ground. She and BRUCE run harder. They’ve hit an open quad space, but the roar of engines is growing louder and they see that a helicopter has just landed and soldiers are hopping out. Students are making a wide berth, but are too curious to leave yet. Some are filming. BETTY and BRUCE stop running.

SOLDIER

_ (with a megaphone) _ Bruce Banner! Surrender yourself to military custody immediately!

BRUCE

_ (quietly)  _ Betty, you need to leave, now. You need to go and tell any students you see to keep away.  _ (He raises his hands in the air as he looks back to the soldiers, and calls back) _ There are civilians here! Don’t provoke him!

SOLDIER

I repeat, Bruce Banner, surrender yourself to military custody or we will be forced to take you in, by any means necessary.  _ (They come a bit closer, guns levelled at BRUCE) _

BRUCE

I’m sure you know what happens when I get worked up, Sergeant. Neither of us wants to provoke the Other Guy on a college campus, and he won’t take very well to being arrested. Just let me walk away, and nobody will get hurt.

SOLDIER

Doctor Banner, you’re the threat here. You can’t be allowed to keep on hiding out until your monster half decides to kill your neighbours, and then simply move on to the next place.

BETTY

Actually, we’re trying to solve that problem, but it’s not going to be helped by the military sticking their noses into it!

BRUCE

_ (slowly backing away) _ Sergeant, there are innocent civilians here, and I don’t want—

SOLDIER

Surrender yourself, or we’ll open fire.

BRUCE shoves BETTY towards a sheltered doorway in the building, then starts backing away in the same direction.

BRUCE

_ (a bit frantic, waving Betty further away) _ Please just let me go, there are students, don’t—-

SOLDIER

Open fire!

Students shriek as three soldiers open fire at BRUCE, who has braced himself for it. There’s the sound of another helicopter overhead. BRUCE doesn’t even look green, and he’s clearly surprised by it. He expected to Hulk out immediately. The gunfire doesn’t stop. People are yelling.

BETTY

Stop! Can’t you see he’s safe now? Stop shooting!

Two of the shots hit BRUCE, one in the leg and one in the right shoulder. He screams and falls to his knees, and the shooting stops temporarily. BETTY also screams. BRUCE is a bit green around the edges, now, but still nowhere near transforming. His body bulges a bit with HULK’s muscle, then shrinks back down to BRUCE right away.

INT. THE SECOND HELICOPTER - AFTERNOON

GENERAL ROSS and BLONSKY are watching the events on the Quad below them. BLONSKY looks impatient, but ROSS is watching closely.

BLONSKY

Let me get down there, sir. I can take him.

GENERAL ROSS

He’s not transforming— we might be able to capture him without you. 

BLONSKY

He’ll die first, look at him. You want him as your weapon, you need to let me take him down. 

BRUCE is really struggling with the HULK now, but it’s hard to tell if it’s BRUCE’s willpower or the ‘cure’ holding the transformation back. HULK seems to be struggling right under BRUCE’s skin, only to be shrunk back down to BRUCE again and again. The partial transformation rolls like waves over BRUCE’s body.

BLONSKY

He’s not letting the monster out, he’s holding himself back. He needs to be challenged.  _ (he’s chomping at the bit to join the fray) _

GENERAL ROSS

_ (almost to himself)  _ We’ll have a hell of a time covering this up if he doesn’t transform, it will look like we attacked a harmless scientist. Nobody will believe that Banner is the monster.

BLONSKY

_ (strapping on his parachute) _ He doesn’t  **deserve** the monster.  _ (he looks back at ROSS as he wrenches the door open) _ Besides. Don’t you want to know if you finally got it right?

BLONSKY grins wildly, then lets himself fall out of the helicopter, right over the Quad. 

GENERAL ROSS leans to watch through the front window as BLONSKY falls. BLONSKY starts to twist and writhe, not holding the right position to pull his chute at all, and then his body transforms and grows. He bursts out of his clothes, destroying the parachute pack. He’s becoming ABOMINATION.

He’s yellow-green and larger than HULK, less person-looking. There are so many large muscles, he’s not in proportion anymore. HULK has always just looked like a large green human, very muscular. ABOMINATION’s body is hunched and too-wide, disturbing, like his skin is barely containing him. He roars as he falls toward BRUCE, and BRUCE and the soldiers look up.

ABOMINATION lands hard in front of BRUCE, who struggles to his feet. ABOMINATION roars at him again, then punches him with one immense hand, sending BRUCE flying into a tree. Everything falls silent, and the HULK’s lullaby motif plays, a couple lines as BRUCE’s body lies limp against the tree. Then BRUCE’s eyes open, bright green, and the HULK erupts out of BRUCE as he surges to his feet. “Draft Resister” by Steppenwolf starts playing. 

HULK rushes ABOMINATION and throws him away from the buildings and BETTY’s hiding spot, into the open space in the quad where no people are. Then he roars.

HULK

NO! GO AWAY!

ABOMINATION

_ (growling)  _ Coward! Stand up and fight me!

ABOMINATION launches himself at HULK again, and they grapple on the grass. A ways away, the second helicopter lands. GENERAL ROSS leans out the door and beckons to BETTY, who sees but does not obey. ABOMINATION manages to throw HULK off of him again, this time in the direction of a frightened huddle of students.

STEPPENWOLF (v/o)

_ He was talkin’ ‘bout the army _

_ while he passed his pipe around _

_ An American deserter _

_ who found peace on Swedish ground. _

The students scream as HULK grabs the ground to slow his trajectory, sliding to a halt a few feet in front of them. ABOMINATION has followed, and HULK braces to meet his rush, protecting the students with his body. ABOMINATION runs into him, and HULK takes the hit, which knocks him back towards the students. The students are also forced back. ABOMINATION hits HULK with a right hook, snapping his head to the side. A student screams. HULK growls and grapples for ABOMINATION’s shoulders, then starts pushing him away from the students, step by step. They make it into the open quad space before HULK lifts ABOMINATION a little and throws him back.

STEPPENWOLF (v/o)

_ He had joined to seek adventure _

_ and to prove himself a man _

_ But they tried to crush his spirit _

_ ‘til his conscience ruined their plans. _

ABOMINATION stands up and rushes HULK, who is caught off guard forced to evade him. This brings ABOMINATION dangerously close to the foot soldiers, who open fire. Bullets bounce off him, and he roars at them. 

GENERAL ROSS

He’s our guy, idiots, don’t shoot him!

HULK rushes ABOMINATION while he is distracted, grabbing him around the middle and throwing him away from the people, into the strand of trees. Trees break and fall. HULK follows him up, driving him back away from people. There’s a clear path between three buildings, which HULK is trying to take.

STEPPENWOLF (v/o)

_ And we thought of those who suffer _

_ for the sake of honesty _

_ all those who refuse to follow _

_ traitors to humanity. _

ABOMINATION catches hold of HULK and swings him into a building. He crashes through the wall and windows of the first floor. People have been watching out the windows, and they scatter backwards, screaming. Hulk’s flailing hands knock some of them into the wall. From the writing on the board, you can see that the class is studying John Garder’s “Grendel”. HULK pushes himself to his feet and looks around a bit sadly before there’s a roar from outside and he runs to meet it.

STEPPENWOLF (v/o)

_ Here’s to all the draft resisters _

_ who will fight for sanity _

_ When they march them off to prison _

_ in this land of liberty. _

HULK gets in a couple good hits, but ABOMINATION gets a good grip on him and shoves him along the wall of another building, dragging him. 

ABOMINATION

You’re weak, a coward! Fight me properly, Banner!

The windows shatter. They hit the end of the wall and HULK is tossed aside. We can see that he’s bleeding from slashes on his back, but it slows and starts to heal before our eyes.

HULK

No! Leave Hulk alone!

STEPPENWOLF (v/o)

_ Heed the threat and awesome power _

_ of the mighty Pentagon _

_ which is wasting precious millions _

_ on the toys of Washington _

The two wrestle and punch each other across a smaller quad space. HULK is uncoordinated and weaker and it shows: he flails and fights like a drunk man at a bar. ABOMINATION is clearly taking advantage of BLONSKY’s training, and his punches are hitting harder and more precisely. A group of students had been playing soccer in this space, and they’ve run out of the way, to the sides. We see people gathering on the outskirts, watching, but keeping well out of the way. The soldiers have followed and are now blocking the way back to the helicopters, and BETTY and GENERAL ROSS are with them. 

ABOMINATION bullies HULK back and tries to shove him into another building, but HULK wrenches him around instead, and ABOMINATION goes flying, landing on a picnic table. In the moment HULK is not next to ABOMINATION, the soldiers fire on him again. He turns to them and bares his teeth, growling, but doesn’t attack them.

STEPPENWOLF (v/o)

_ Don’t forget the draft resisters _

_ and their silent lonely plea _

_ When they march them off to prison _

_ they will go for you and me. _

ABOMINATION gets up and catches HULK around the throat. HULK grapples with ABOMINATION’s fingers at his throat, eventually dragging the hands away. He ducks down and flips ABOMINATION over his head, onto his back on the ground.

HULK

STOP! HULK SMASH!

ABOMINATION struggles to his feet, clearly sneering at the HULK.

ABOMINATION

You could have been magnificent.

He attacks again. They’re boxing in the quad, now. Students are yelling and cheering, but HULK is flagging. ABOMINATION lands a solid hit and HULK is thrown to the ground. ABOMINATION takes the chance to leap on top of him, pinning him down and landing another strong punch to his face.

STEPPENWOLF (v/o)

_ Shame, disgrace, and all dishonour _

_ wrongly heaped upon their heads _

_ will not rob them of the courage _

_ which betrays the innocent _

In the background, we see the students who were using the quad before. They have a bunch of soccer balls in front of them, and one has a megaphone. 

STUDENT

HEY! You, ugly guy!  _ (ABOMINATION turns to look at the sound) _ Think fast!

Ten students shoot soccer balls right at him. He roars and abandons HULK, rushing the students, grabbing the nearest one up in his fist. The kid screams. ABOMINATION shakes them.

HULK takes advantage of his distraction, drags himself up from the ground and, from behind, thunderclaps ABOMINATION on both ears at the same time. 

Everything goes silent, and ABOMINATION’s eyes widen. The camera swings so we are watching from ABOMINATION’s eyes as he swings around, still in echoing silence, to face the HULK. He has a bare second to process before the HULK’s fist comes right for the camera and ABOMINATION is knocked out.

The sound fades back in as the camera pulls back for a broader view. HULK is picking up the kid ABOMINATION was clutching, gently for HULK though a bit rough by ordinary standards. People are yelling and cheering. On the ground in front of HULK, ABOMINATION is shrinking back into BLONSKY. 

STUDENT

_ (nearby) _

He punched the monster right out of him!

BETTY runs towards HULK, calling him.

BETTY

Hulk!

HULK

Betty.

BETTY reaches him, and he ducks down to be closer to her, bent over her as she stands on her tiptoes to hug him around the neck. GENERAL ROSS starts advancing towards them.

GENERAL ROSS

Get away from her, monster! Elizabeth, you come back here.

HULK turns his head and bares his teeth at ROSS, growling. ROSS stops his advance.

HULK

Puny soldier.

HULK turns back to BETTY. Behind them, some soldiers start restraining BLONSKY with massive handcuffs probably meant for BRUCE.

BETTY

You kept all these people safe, Hulk. They’re safe now.

HULK

Bruce not safe. Puny soldiers here.

BETTY

I know. I think you’ll have to run again. But Bruce knows how to keep in touch, I’ll talk to you soon.

HULK

Betty come too.

BETTY

Oh Hulk, I can’t. If I came along they would never leave you alone, and I have work to do here, important work.

HULK

No! Betty come too!

BETTY

_ (crying a bit) _ I’m sorry, Hulk. I wish I could come, but I can’t. You need to be safe. Tell Bruce I love you.

HULK

_ (he presses his forehead to BETTY’s)  _ Love.

BETTY

_ (still crying, she reaches up to kiss HULK’s cheek, then pulls away) _ Yeah.

BETTY backs a couple steps away, and HULK watches for a moment, a big tear on his big cheek. Then he turns and starts to run away. Civilians clear out of the way. Some soldiers start to follow him, but he’s far faster, and he disappears quickly.

GENERAL ROSS runs up to BETTY. BLONSKY is being led away from everyone, still clearly groggy.

GENERAL ROSS

Elizabeth! I told you never to contact him, you’ve been aiding and abetting a criminal— 

BETTY stares at him for a moment, then brushes past him, deliberately knocking him with her shoulder.

GENERAL ROSS

Elizabeth, don’t you walk away.

BETTY

_ (stops and turns to say one last thing) _ You nearly let all these people die in order to capture an innocent man. You endangered the entire campus, you brought  **machine guns** to a  **school** . Never speak to me again.

She turns back and leaves, ignoring his calling after her.

GENERAL ROSS

Elizabeth? Elizabeth!

As she goes towards the larger quad, she sees a backpack sitting by a building, where she and BRUCE were when the soldiers arrived. It’s BRUCE’s. She picks it up and slings it onto her back, walking away. “Find the Cost of Freedom” by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young starts playing.

MONTAGE

  * EXT. A FOREST - EVENING - HULK is crashing through the trees, sometimes looking behind him. Eventually, he comes up to a little rivulet of water and some pools, and stops, bending to drink out of his huge palms. Then he curls up and falls asleep, shrinking into a sleeping BRUCE.



CROSBY, STILLS, NASH, AND YOUNG (v/o)

_ Find the cost of freedom _

_ buried in the ground. _

_ Mother Earth will swallow you _

_ lay your body down. _

  * INT. A MILITARY FACILITY - EVENING - Soldiers are leading BLONSKY into a heavily reinforced room, still in massive handcuffs. GENERAL ROSS is walking alongside them, face hard.



CROSBY, STILLS, NASH, AND YOUNG (v/o)

_ Find the cost of freedom _

_ buried in the ground. _

_ Mother Earth will swallow you _

_ lay your body down. _

  * INT. BETTY’S APARTMENT - EVENING - BETTY sits at her kitchen table, BRUCE’s backpack open on the floor next to her. She’s looking at chemical data on her laptop. Werner the test mouse is running in his wheel. BETTY shifts her computer and pulls out two photos, one of her and BRUCE, and one of BRUCE’S MOTHER. He’s left them behind.



CROSBY, STILLS, NASH, AND YOUNG (v/o)

_ Find the cost of freedom _

_ buried in the ground. _

_ Mother Earth will swallow you _

_ lay your body down. _

  * EXT. A STREET IN A SMALL TOWN - NIGHT - BRUCE stands in the rain, looking at a TV playing inside a corner store. It shows a news report of HULK and ABOMINATION’s fight at Culver. ABOMINATION throws HULK into a building as the subtitles say “Where is the Hulk?” BRUCE’S face comes onto the screen, and BRUCE startles, then turns to walk away into the dark night.



CROSBY, STILLS, NASH, AND YOUNG (v/o)

_ Find the cost of freedom _

_ buried in the ground. _

_ Mother Earth will swallow you _

_ lay your body down. _

END OF MONTAGE - FADE TO BLACK

END CREDITS - Bob Dylan’s ‘Masters of War’ playing.

MID-CREDITS SCENE

INT. BLONSKY’S REINFORCED CELL - DAY

BLONSKY is in his human shape, sitting on the bed, looking smug. There’s clanging, and GENERAL ROSS walks in on the other side of a reinforced glass wall.

GENERAL ROSS

Captain Blonsky. I hear you’ve been asking for me.

BLONSKY

You were holding back on me, General.

GENERAL ROSS

Excuse me?

BLONSKY

_ (Standing and walking over to the glass, standing at parade rest)  _ Banner got more than just the injections. A radiation treatment. That’s why I wasn’t stronger than him, why I didn’t get him. Give me the full treatment, and next time you’ll have him.

GENERAL ROSS

Our scientists don’t think the radiation will work the same way twice, that there was something about Banner that let him survive it. All the other radiation subjects died.

BLONSKY

GIVE IT TO ME, DAMN IT!  _ (He hits the glass with his fist, which is suddenly larger. ABOMINATION lurks in his face for a moment. Then he takes a deep breath and goes on) _ The serum didn’t kill me. I can survive it, it will just make me better. I want to catch him, General, I was so close...

ROSS looks at him consideringly, then nods.

INT. MILITARY FACILITY - DAY

GENERAL ROSS stands at the window of a radiation room, like the one from BRUCE’s treatment earlier. In the room, we see BLONSKY, submitting to being tied down. SCIENTISTS give him two more injections, then run into the safe room with ROSS and press a button. BLONSKY’s body bows on the bed, tearing his restraints, and he screams, writhing. His skin is burning, and it looks like he’s going to turn into ABOMINATION, and the camera pans to GENERAL ROSS. He’s stoic as the screaming continues, and then abruptly cuts off. After a second, he pounds the table with his fist and then scrubs his hands over his face.

FADE TO CREDITS - Barry McGuire’s ‘Eve of Destruction’ playing.

END CREDITS SCENE

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE IN BAGHERWAL, INDIA - MORNING

BRUCE is sitting in half-lotus position, meditating. His hands are in Adi Mudra, and he’s breathing deeply, eyes closed. He turns a bit green, and it looks like he’s about to Hulk out for a moment, like the HULK is shifting just under his skin. He opens his eyes, and they’re bright green, then his whole body relaxes and his eyes fade back to brown. BRUCE smiles, and closes his eyes again. 

CUT TO BLACK


	2. work notes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some notes on the choices I made for this script, big and small, and some explanations of the references.

  * I wanted the opening scene to give a tangible sense of what Bruce loses when he has to go on the run. Bruce hasn’t always been a transient sort of person, and if we see that in later movies it’s a sign of fear and trauma. That’s why I made a point of showing us that he has a whole life here.
  * Bruce likes Star Trek, which is about a peaceful future, exploration and discovery. Bruce likes Bones McCoy.
  * Betty gave Bruce the silly neurons picture on their second date.
  * Rick Jones is a comics character. In the comics, Bruce is building a gamma bomb, and Jones is in the blast zone. Bruce pushes him out of the way and that’s what makes him the Hulk. I wanted to maintain the idea that Bruce, long before he becomes a superhero, is devoted to protecting the innocent, but I also wanted to put Bruce on the super soldier serum. Jones became Bruce’s lab assistant/ immediate military oversight.
  * I wanted to give Betty work and interests of her own, as well as a personality. She deserved it. Betty, at the time of the first act, is working on a chemical solution that breaks down oil and helps clean up oil spills, because she is cool. 
  * The Sun is Burning is a song about a nuclear bomb. The Hulk, originally created in 1962, is pretty clearly partially a result of the fear of the nuclear bomb, a response to the atomic age. 
  * Yes, Bruce names his testing mice, because he’s a softie. Werner Bachmann (the original, not the mouse) was an American chemist, and was known for his pioneering work in steroid synthesis. Bruce is funny and so am I.
  * A big difference between Bruce and Betty is that he’s a planner and she’s an improviser. That’s why the plan that Bruce comes up with on the fly— using himself as a test subject instead— is bad. Betty, in the same position, would have refused to show up and started writing letters to the ethics board at the university and to Ross’ peers at the Pentagon.
  * The death of Bruce’s mother at the hands of his father is comics canon.
  * General Ross is speaking to SHIELD on the phone, and they’re trying to claim Hulk as under their jurisdiction because he’s an enhanced individual. Ross is having none of it. This is as close as we get to having SHIELD in this movie.
  * I’m not sure how Betty naming the Hulk worked out, but I wanted to give the Hulk his own spark of humanity right from the beginning. He has a simple but very clear self-perception, but since he’s only just been made manifest instead of being an element of Bruce’s subconscious, he doesn’t have a lot of words or a name for himself. And he canonically answers to Hulk, so it can’t just be a name the public calls him. It has to be his, he has to recognise it.
  * Bruce, when he chooses ‘Hitchhiker's Guide’, is probably feeling like his situation is both terrible and absurd, which is essentially how Arthur Dent is feeling, too.
  * [I](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l-W43YP0YyZphabTcmWnnTrQZw4OyXje6vjpezzCh8U/edit#bookmark=id.b8xuhs3ppuv4) got rid of the character of Samuel Sterns, because he was never useful, and gave his work of trying to cure Banner over to Betty. ‘Dr. Blue’ as a name gets to carry some emotional weight, and hopefully it works. It also reminds you that Bruce may be the super genius, but Betty is really smart. She has to teach herself enough biochemistry and physics of gamma radiation to understand what went wrong, and she does it in about three years.
  * I liked the scenes in the actual Hulk movie that tell us how Bruce has learned to live on the run. Unfortunately, a scene like the one where he watches children’s shows and teaches himself Portugese doesn’t fit in this movie. The freerunning does, though. Bruce doesn’t want to let the Hulk loose in urban centres, and he’s taught himself to be quick and sneaky in order to avoid the necessity. But he’s still learning.
  * Blonsky is a foil for Bruce, but he’s not the main antagonist, Ross is, the whole military and governmental structure that gives Ross power is. Blonsky is an element of that machine, he’s essentially Ross’ own power fantasy: young, elite, respected as a fighter. That’s why he’s introduced so late— I want us to think of him as an extension of Ross, not as himself.
  * Yes, Blonsky has bad Frankenstein hot takes.
  * There were basically two concepts to keep in mind about the Hulk when he is forced to fight Abomination: one is that he’s smart, and the other is that he’s a superhero. He’s going to fight effectively, and he’s going to be trying to minimise collateral damage. Bruce and Hulk are not entirely different people, after all. 
  * By contrast, Abomination wants Hulk to embrace his power, to know how much better he is than the puny humans. That’s why Abomination keeps pushing Hulk into the bystanders, and Hulk keeps pushing Abomination away.
  * John Gardner’s “Grendel” is about Beowulf from the point of view of the monster, and I am making yet another joke.
  * ‘Thunderclap’- creating a sound wave with his hands— is a canon Hulk ability, but I figured he wouldn’t use it here, where there were a lot of people who could be hurt by it. This evokes that, but isn’t the sonic boom. 
  * Bruce has made it to India, where SHIELD will find him in Avengers 1, four years later. He’s in Bagherwal, which has a high population of Jains. I think the extreme pacifism of Jainism would appeal to Bruce, even if he isn’t the kind to devote himself to religious belief or life. The Adi Mudra, his hand position, is a mudra for calming the mind. It looks like a closed fist, with the thumb inside.




End file.
